Samsung Note 2 versus Verizon Wireless' Support

I've been enjoying my new Samsung Galaxy Note 2 for Verizon
and have found the overall performance of the device quite good. While
trying out Samsung's smart dock, I created a problem unintentionally.
While messing around with the "page buddy" screen for the docking
station, I accidentally deleted the calendar widget. When I looked
through the list of widgets available on the phone, two calendar widgets
were available. Neither of them looked like the widget that was
accidentally deleted.

I searched the really sketchy
documentation provided with the device. I searched online documentation
on both Verizon's and Samsung's websites. I couldn't find much useful
information about Samsung's page buddies in general or the docking
screen in specific. So I called Verizon's technical support line
multiple times and later Samsung's and didn't get an answer. Finally
after trying one thing or another, I came up with a workable solution.
Why did it have to be so hard?

The answer is clear. Today's smartphones are too complex for traditional call-centers to handle.

What is a Page Buddy?

Samsung has extended the Android operating system by adding a concept
they call "Page Buddies." Page Buddies are optional, special purpose
pages designed to pop up when owners use the S Pen, the earphones, the
dock or when they're roaming. These pages can automatically show up and
offer apps and settings tools to make the phone easier to use. They also
are quite extensible and yet, are very poorly documented.

The Note 2's default settings have page buddies turned on. So, they
pop up when a user takes out the digitizer pen, inserts a headphone into
the jack or connects a Bluetooth headset, inserts the phone in
Samsung's smart dock or is roaming outside of the users normal area.

The Docking Page Buddy Screen

The Note 2's docking page buddy screen shows a wide calendar widget, a
media player widget and adjusts the icons at the bottom of the screen
to show the apps that are most commonly used.

The screen can be modified just like any other homepage on the device. Widgets and icons can be moved around, added or removed.

This is where I got into trouble. While trying to do something using
the phone while it was in the dock, I accidentally selected the calendar
widget and dragged it to the trashcan. I wasn't looking at the device. I
was on yet another conference call on my land line and trying to look
up something on the phone.

Once the widget was gone and the teleconference was over, I searched
high and low to find a way to get the widget back. Did I mention that
the documentation of page buddies in general and the docking page buddy
are sketchy at best?

Calling Verizon Wireless technical support

After searching
Verizon's website, Samsung's website and the web in general for about an
hour, I couldn't find any useful information on page buddies or the
calendar widget. Although I hate wading through Verizon's awful voice
response system to get through to a technical support agent, I called
their support number.

As an aside, I think that Verizon Wireless
and other large companies are really doing themselves a big disservice
by forcing people to deal with computerized answering systems that seem
unable to understand spoken language and seem to be the only way to get
through to a human being.

After wading through the voice
response system and being put on hold for ten minutes, I got through to
one very nice rep and spent about 20 minutes with her trying to get her
to understand what was happening. She just couldn't get the idea. She
had no idea what a page buddy was. She did, however, know how to find
the available widgets and pointed out the two calendar widgets available
on the phone. She had no idea why neither of them looked like the
widget that was previously displayed on the docking screen.

It
is clear to me that her training on this phone added up to "here's what
the Note 2 looks like, remember it and go to the phone to answer
customer questions."

Her suggestion was to wipe the phone and
rebuilt all of my settings, reload my over 2700 contacts, and reconnect
with three different email accounts and calendars.

Wrong answer!

Maybe the second call to Verizon Wireless will be the charm

So,
I called back a second time. I had to joust with the voice response
system a second time, got put on hold a second time and finally was able
to get to the tech support person. I was forced to go through the same
discussion about what I did, what happened and what I wanted to
accomplish - just getting back to the factory setting without having to
take my entire day rebuilding my phone.

After the long discussion,
the agent realized that my question was beyond her level of skill. She
asked permission to forward my call to the second level of support. She,
by the way, appeared to have no idea what a page buddy is either.

Once
again, I had to wade through the long technical support script to
explain what happened, what I've done to try to fix it and ask for
suggestions. Once again, the person couldn't understand what happened
and what was needed.

This agent, suggested that I call the Samsung USA support line and gave me their number and an incident number.

Speaking to Samsung's tech support line

Oh the joy. Now I get to talk to Samsung's voice response system.

After jousting with Samsung's voice response system, I was connected
with a gentleman who appeared to know a great deal about the Note 2. He,
at least, understand what a page buddy was. He pointed out the two
available calendar widgets. He also suggested taking the battery out of
the phone and doing a soft reset. Sure enough, the calendar widget was
still gone.

When he suggested doing a hard reset and going through
the long process I suggested that wasn't an acceptable approach. He
asked if he could put me on hold to speak with his backup support.

During the on-hold time, the call dropped.

Messing around on my own

I
tried installing one of the two calendar widgets that were on the phone
and noticed that something different happened when that widget showed
up on the screen than when others were installed. The widget had
diamonds on the four sides that made it look like it could be re-sized.
Most widgets are not re-sizeable.

I was able to make the calendar widget look like the one that was accidentally deleted!

My primary questions are:

Why didn't the tech support folks of Verizon or Samsung appear to know this little detail?

Why
don't these companies use tools such as those offered by LogMeIn to
help support reps actually see what is happening on a customer's device?